There's an old mechanic's joke that goes something like this: Question - What's the most likely part to fail in an automobile?

Answer: The nut behind the wheel.

Looking at national highway safety statistics, it looks like that "nut" -- the driver -- is failing more often. In 2016, U.S. motor vehicle deaths topped 40,000 for the first time since 2007 according to a report from the National Safety Council.

That is a 6 percent increase from 2015 and up 14 percent from 2014, according to the group. Those numbers are on track with similar findings released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which in January reported an 8 percent rise in fatal crashes in the first nine months of 2016 compared to the prior-year period.

So, what's behind the increase in fatalities? Part of it can be attributed to the fact that we are on the road more. As gas prices have decreased, Americans overall have increased their highway travels. The National Safety Council statistics show a 3 percent increase in vehicle miles traveled last year.

But the increase in fatalities was twice that, which points to something more.

Flipping through The National Safety Council's latest reports, the group also has a report on a survey they conducted that shows 47 percent of motorists are comfortable texting while driving. And if that's not scary enough, 10 percent of drivers reported driving drunk, and 43 percent of them said they were involved in a crash while impaired.

Still think that "nut behind the wheel" description is too harsh? The survey also found that 16 percent said they don’t wear seatbelts on every trip, while 25 percent are comfortable speeding on residential streets.

From a legislative standpoint, Louisiana has actually done a good job at taking steps to increase driver safety. The National Safety Council gives the state an A rating for road safety in 2015. Highlights include that we have laws requiring seatbelt use, prohibiting texting while driving and using ignition interlocks on people with DUI convictions.

But if you take some time and park on the side of a roadway and watch drivers, you'll see more drivers than not glancing down at cell phones, holding a phone to their ear, eating food or doing other activities that take their eyes and attention off where they are headed. We confirmed that earlier this week when we spent 45 minutes parked on the roadside of I-49 just south of Alexandria (mile marker 77 to be exact).

We also noticed that, even with our emergency flashers on while parked on the roadside, very few drivers showed the courtesy of moving over to the other lane, or at least slowing down.

Current law requires drivers to slow down and/or move over if police or emergency workers are on the scene, like a tow truck driver. But if it's just some regular driver pulled over trying to fix a flat tire or peering under the hood trying to figure out what's wrong, the law doesn't require drivers to move over.

We know from experience, it's somewhat unnerving to feel the vehicle shake when an 18-wheeler races past just inches away at 75 mph or more. It's downright terrifying to be kneeling on the ground by the car changing a tire when it happens.

With more folks hitting the road for summer vacations, this is a good time to encourage everyone to practice safe driving habits. Put down the phone, keep your eyes on the road and give the folks on the side of the road room to take care of their problem safely.

Driving isn't a routine task, it's a serious responsibility and it requires the driver's full attention. On behalf of everyone who travels the roadways of Central Louisiana, please do your part to keep us all safe.